[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9714]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE MEMORY OF LESLIE ARNOLD COLLINS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. VALADAO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 9, 2014

  Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Mr. Costa, 
to recognize and honor the memory of Mr. Leslie Arnold Collins. As a 
veteran, a community leader, and philanthropist, Mr. Collins was a true 
pillar of the Hanford community. His presence in our community will be 
greatly missed, but the example by which he lived his life will not 
soon be forgotten.
  Les was born in Danville, Illinois, on April 25, 1922. He was the 
fourth child born to his parents, William Howard Collins and Mable 
Arnold Collins. He met his wife, Alice Smith, while visiting his mother 
in New Mexico and soon married her on December 3, 1949. He and his wife 
traveled in 1960 to Hanford, California, where they raised three 
children. He had five grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and 
one great-great-grandchild on the way. Les Collins passed away 
peacefully in his sleep at home on June 1, 2014, at the age of 92.
  Les spent his life serving his country, family and his community. Les 
served as a combat medic in the Pacific Theater and helped liberate the 
Philippines during World War II. For his valor, he was awarded numerous 
medals, including the Bronze Star.
  His service to our nation did not end when he left the military, as 
he worked tirelessly to support veterans in his community. As a 
volunteer member of the Honor Flight Network, he raised funds to allow 
veterans to fly to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at the World 
War II memorial. He made the trip himself on his 91st birthday on April 
25, 2013. In 2009, he was honored as the 30th Assembly District's 
Veteran of the Year.
  As a lifetime member of the Optimist Club, Les embodied the 
organization's mission of ``Bringing out the Best in Kids,'' by 
participating in many youth programs and being a positive role model 
for the young people in our area. In 1984, he was honored as the 
Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. Throughout his years of living 
in Hanford, he was actively involved in various community projects, 
including being an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts and serving on the 
Eagle Scout review board. As a civic leader, he was a Hanford planning 
commissioner, a lifetime member of the Kings County Historical Society, 
and an election worker for 30 years. It is impossible to list all the 
contributions Mr. Collins made over his lifetime because there are 
simply too many to mention.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives 
to join Mr. Costa and myself in honoring the memory of Mr. Les Collins. 
He was an inspiration for all, and he led a long life of serving both 
his country and community. We should all strive to leave such a 
significant imprint on our communities as Mr. Collins did during his 
lifetime.

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